MOVIE REVUE: Identity Theft is Hardly worth the Steal

 

Melissa McCarthy is without a doubt, one of the funniest comediennes of today. She had the breakthrough role in Bridesmaids which earned her numerous accolades including a Best Supporting Actress nod. Why on earth would she take on a role that is so annoying that it could make my annoying family member look brilliant is beyond me? Identity Thief unfortunately falls into the usual trap of things that are “too good to be true.” The product sounds great in the sales pitch. However, when you read the fine print, or suffer through the 112 minutes like I have, you will soon realize that Thief could not steal my funny bone.

New Release Date set for Pitch Perfect

 

Audiences Will Get Pitch Slapped by the New Musical Comedy One Week Earlier than Expected

Universal 100th Anniversar​y Collection – 25 Unforgetta​ble Films on Blu-Ray Nov 6th

 

A selection of 25 of Universal’s Most iconic films together for the first time in celebration of the studio’s centennial anniversary. Own It on Blu-Ray & DVD – November 6th

Celebrate Universal’s Proud History with 25 Unforgetable Films complete with collectible packaging, an exclusive 72-Page book, 15-Track Music CD and Bonus Disc

AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIE REVUE: The Boring Legacy

During the height of the Bourne trilogy’s popularity, a reporter asked Matt Damon if he would come back for yet another film. He quoted director Paul Greengrass saying that it could be called “The Bourne Redundancy.” That man is a prophet, because The Bourne Legacy is almost as unnecessary of a fourth installment as Shrek Forever After.

MOVIE REVUE: Snow White and the Seven Reasons to Skip It

You’ve seen the commercials and the trailers with the dazzling special effects, sinister stares, and frenzied fighting. Snow White and the Huntsman looks like a masterpiece from the outside, but looking carefully into the mirror on the wall reveals that there is more to this movie and it is not pretty. My scrutiny actually resulted in 7 reasons for you not to bother with this year’s second twist on the classic fairy tale (see my review of Mirror Mirror). I’ll spare you the synopsis.

MOVIE REVUE: A Minor Breach in the Safe House

Warning, some heavies have breached the safe house this weekend. My expectations are lowered along with the security features.

MOVIE REVUE: Tower Heist is Worth Its Weight in Comedy

It’s good to have Eddie Murphy back in the realm of comedy, and a relief to know that characters like Reggie Hammond and Billy Ray Valentine still have a place amongst the Norbits and Pluto Nashes that have weighed down his bag of personas over the last decade. Perhaps Murphy’s return as the street smart, fast talking hoodlum Slide in Tower Heist is a shout out to himself, revisiting those characters of his comedic heyday (if slightly diluted for its PG-13 rating) without diminishing the rest of the cast.

MOVIE REVUE: No More Mr. Funny Spy

 

Rowan Atkinson has created numerous characters that make us laugh. From the humbling everyday Englishman Mr. Bean to the anti-hero Edmund Blackadder, he has kept us in stitches with the wit, the pun, and the punch line. His latest creation is that of MI7 agent Johnny English. English has the courage of the cowardly lion and the sheer luck of Lt. Frank Drebin. A few years ago, English saved the day from a mad French man. This time, he is “reborn” and recalled by MI7 to take part in a new mission. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to entertain the movie audience for nearly two hours as he plays the ultimate yet incompetent secret agent. Does he succeed? Here’s my mission debrief of Johnny English Reborn.

MOVIE REVUE: A Good Return on The Debt

Oftentimes when thrillers attempt to weave the realism of a historically relevant era into their plot, they get wrapped up in the mechanics of what the characters are doing instead of the characters themselves. The Debt, John Madden’s re-imagining of the 2007 Israeli thriller Ha-Hov, does precisely the opposite. Communicating its intentions through  emotional complexities, raw tension and the organic feel of its environment, The Debt accomplishes something a little different – it allows us to sympathize with the spies.

INTERVUE: Director John Madden Talks About His New Film, The Debt

For an Oscar nominated director, John Madden is a modest man. From theatre and radio to television and eventually feature films, he is also a Jury Member at Filmaka, a studio that harnesses up-and-coming talent in the filmmaking industry. Perhaps best known for directing Shakespeare in Love which won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1998, John has developed his craft through every medium imaginable. His newest film, The Debt, is an adaptation of an Israeli film that follows three Mossad agents attempting to smuggle a Nazi war criminal out of East Germany to face trial in 1965. I was able to sit down with Mr. Madden to talk about his newest project which stars Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain. The Debt opens in theaters August 31st.